Round Robin
by Arianllyn
Summary: This is a round robin we're working on over at Peshamba, a group on groups.yahoo.com. We're a friendly group and we'd welcome anyone who wanted to come along and join in. Please RR!
1. This Book

Title: This Book

Author: Aryn

Date: 9th May 2005

Notes: In the POV of Claidi's daughter. Said daughter is writing in her book.

* * *

My mother gave this book to me this morning and told me... nothing, really. She just said, "This is in case you ever need to write things down." I don't know what that's supposed to mean, or why she really gave this to me. I'm sure she must have some reason besides the one she gave.

I wonder if she wants me to have a diary, like those girls in Peshamba do. I can do that, I suppose. Dagger saw me carrying this book around earlier today and said, "So you've got one too. Just like Claidi, always writing in her book." So Mother had a book like this? I'll have to ask her tonight, after dinner.

I haven't mentioned my birthday yet. Today I turn fourteen, and the evening fire is going to be more festive than usual, in honor of it. They do that for every birthday in the Hulta, or nearly every one. They never call it a party or a celebration, it just is- without really trying. We'll get to eat some of the meat the men (and Dagger; I swear, she could be a man if she wanted to) caught earlier.

So, since this is a diary, what have I done all day? Well, mostly, I've walked around and talked to my friends, and I've been very giddy and I've been given birthday gifts. A new shirt from Rail, a set of really lovely beads from Ahra, a book of legends from Amirira, and a pair of soft riding boots from Mother and Father. And this book from Mother, along with an ink pencil. Oh, and Dagger gave me a dagger (I've got five now; at first, Mother was upset with her giving me one when I was nine). She really is a decent person, even with her temper. She was my mother's friend when she and my father had just met.

Speaking of my father, he's the Hulta chief. He's been in the position since he was eighteen. I don't think I can imagine that.Ahmed is eighteen, and he can hardly handle himself. Sometimes I wonder if he was knocked in the head as a child. Anyway, I've heard that in some other places, the chief's daughter is treated like a princess. In a sense, I suppose I am a princess.

* * *

Yuk. I don't want to be a princess. It has a horribly snooty sound to it. I'm the chief's daughter, and that's it. I'm actually sort of glad people don't treat me like anything special (especially the older boys, who make fun of me all the time). I don't know how I'd handle it.

Looking back over this writing, I've covered two pages already. I suppose that's not much, but it's a start. I'm starting to quite like writing. Interesting. I didn't know I had anything to say, at least not on paper. I talk quite a lot; Father says it will be my undoing one day.

And I've also realized I haven't told you my name (Look at me, using "you" to address a book. I feel hopelessly silly and at the same time like I have a very... nice secret). Well, so you know it's me, you book, who has no feelings and cannot think, I'll write my name here: Tealin.


	2. The Fire

Title: The Fire

Author: Arianllyn

Date: 10th May 2005

Notes: Dagger's point of view, thought as events happen. At the camp fire on

the evening of Tealin's birthday.

* * *

He's built the fire too high again.

Every time he does that I think, I could do better. Of course. But I decided a long time ago that all men are tronkers, even the Hulta chief.

His bird's not bad though. She's always recognised I know better than her.

Won't tell /her/ that, obviously.

I kind of feel sorry for her. I've known Claidi for years, and she's always been a bit, well - odd. But she just grows odder and odder. Oh, she'll join in the fires and all, but there'll be a couple of days when she'll just . . . disappear. But Argul doesn't worry about it, so of course, we don't.

Here she comes - not Claidi, Tealin. She's paler in colouring than us all - all that foreign blood. But she's as brave as almost anyone.

As me? Nah.

No ceremony, of course - well, it's only a birthday. We all have them. She's fourteen though, so won't be long till she starts looking for a husband. I just hope -

I can't believe Mehmed just told that joke. I said to him, I said, that things all very well for out hunting, but on a nice familiy gathering -

Thank goodness no-one here's a seer - they'd laugh, to hear me (me!) lecturing people on proper behaviour.

We've gone quiet (yes, even me), because of Argul. He hasn't stood up, or asked for silence. Or raised his hand even. He wants to speak, and us - we know, and we listen. That's 'cos we're Hulta.

I'd expected a speech, I suppose, don't know why. He's never been a one for that sort of thing.

It's a story.

And the best thing about Argul's story is that they're all true.

I haven't heard this one before. A disguise, a wild chase through a frozen land to the top of the world, just to get Claidi back . . .

Well, maybe Argul isn't a tronker.

But he stops, mid-word. A figure stands, just outside the circle of firelight. I can't see their face, but Claidi and Argul obviously can, because their faces show they recognise the figure.

"Is this a private gathering," it drawls, "Or can anyone join?"


	3. Family Reunion

Title: Family Reunion

Author: Janeal

Date: 10th May 2005

Notes: From Claidi's POV

* * *

They've been married now, for almost as long as Argul and I have been. Now they have children! Their eldest is Yllar, after his father, but Dengwi calls him Skipper. (When I heard that, I laughed. Princess Jizania Tiger named one of the lions that years ago, before she died.)

Venn.

I haven't seen him since his wedding. That was nearly twenty years ago. And the time we spent together at the Rise was even before that. Every time I see him or think of him, I think—

I mustn't think of that anymore.

Argul has no idea that I fell for him. I suppose I should have told him, but the only thing that matters now is that Argul is my only love, and he always will be.

But I still think of that day that I left the Rise, when Venn told me to Break the rules! and gave me a kiss, then was off down the cliff. I thought it was forever, that I would never see him again, but . . . There we were, on our quest for Ustareth, and he we are now. Like old friends. (Which we are. I think.)

It seems that the Rise slowly broke down until the water was disgusting, the rooms froze in-place (which was a bad thing because most of them were inaccessible with where they stopped), the kitchens didn't work, the waterfall completely ceased to flow, and even Jotto got creaky. Venn and Dengwi thought it would be best if they didn't starve to death, although Venn wanted to stay at the rise.

(And I hear I was, twenty years later, still thinking he couldn't bear to leave the rise. Well, now you see I was wrong. Or maybe I was right. And he was wrong.)

They brought their two children: Yllar (Skipper) and—

Claidis.

Ugh, they named their child that horrible, awful name that the real Claidi (Winter Raven) gave to me, which caused Venn to call me that for the first days of our acquaintanceship? Lord, how many children are going to be named some form of Claidi?

Claidis is fourteen, just like my Tealin. (Skipper is nearly seventeen.) Dengwi explained: "I admired you so, Claidi, that I had to keep you close to me somehow, but Venn wanted to name her Claidis---"at this she stroked the poor child's head "—It seems he liked that better."

Venn smiled at me, and I gave him a weak smile back.

Claidis looks very much like her father, which means she looks somewhat like Argul. She has the nose to look down at people with, and she has the eyes. But her hair is her mother's—light brown. In fact, Claidis and Tealin look very much alike. Though they don't like each other at all.


	4. The Letter

Title: The Letter

Author: Arianllyn

Date: 11th May 2005

Notes: A flying letter, sent from the Moon Pavilion to the Raven Tower shortly before Tealin's birthday.

* * *

Her most delicate radiance Winter Raven, also called Claidis Star, Lady of the Moon Pavilion; to Twilight Star-Raven, gracious Lady of the Raven Tower: greetings. 

No. I absolutely refuse.

Hope you are well,

Winter


	5. The Girl

Title: The Girl

Author: Aryn

Date: 16th May 2005

Notes: From Tealin's POV, as written in her book. What happened at the evening fire on her birthday.

I can hardly write. I can hardly even see straight, I'm so angry. I have no right to be angry, I tell myself. But I have a reason. It's-her.

She carries herself more like a Her. Her name is Claidis. She looks just like me, only... haughtier. And prettier.

She's beautful, she really is, though I hate to say it. And she looks, somehow, exactly like Father. It's her nose. It's long and

elegant, and she looked down it at me the same way he does. It's unnerving. Why should she have my father's nose, when I don't? I don't mind my nose, it's just... her. Tronking Her.

Let me go back to the beginning, before I start to scribble frustrated circles all over this page:

We sat around the fire, listening to Father tell a story. I had never heard it before: it was about him, traveling to the top of the world to rescue my mother. This, of course, in the days before they were married. I wondered if it was true. Dagger says his stories are always true. I don't know how she'd know, since she wasn't there for most of them.

Anyway, into the firelight walked this woman, unlike any other I've seen. Her skin was dark, almost black, and her hair was pulled back until it was flat against her head. She said, "Is this a private gathering, or can anyone join?"

Mother froze, and Father stopped speaking. They stood up slowly, then Mother went over and embraced the woman as though they were sisters. "Of course, come in," she said. "It's been so long since we've seen you... Dengwi."

The woman (Dengwi, I suppose) sat down beside Mother, and then a man and two teen-aged children stepped into the firelight behind her. I hadn't even noticed them standing just outside the orange pool of light. The man... when I first saw him, I thought, He looks just like Father. He did. His hair is lighter, and curly, and his skin is paler, and he sits differently, stiffly. But he has the same stern sort of nose, and his face is the same shape. Was he a relative of Father's? Why, then, hadn't I heard anything about him? Or about the two children?

They weren't really children. The oldest was a boy, perhaps sixteen, who had dark skin like Dengwi and sat up straighter than anyone I've ever seen. The other was a girl. She stood there, all drawn up proudly, and I felt like she was doing it just to put me off. That's ridiculous, I told myself. Of course she's not. That's a petty way to think.

Father introduced them then. The man is his half-brother. (!) His name is Venarion. And then Dengwi is Mother's half-sister. The boy

is named Yllar but called Skipper. (?) And the girl was, is, Claidis. Dengwi said she was named for Mother. I thought Mother's name was Claidi? Maybe it's a nickname.

After the introduction, She sat with her parents for a moment. Mother and Father sat near Venn and Dengwi and talked in low voices, looking happy, like old friends. The rest of the Hulta had begun to talk amongst themselves. The story was forgotten.

The girl walked round the edge of the ring of Hulta and sat next to me, which I thought was kind of her. I began to think that perhaps she wasn't so bad.

"My name's Claidis," she said in a low voice. "Mother says I'm named for your mother there. Who are you?"

"I'm Tealin," I said, relaxing. She was all right after all. "I'm... not really named for anyone."

Then she started off on a rant about something I didn't understand. "Have you gotten a sign of your powers yet?" she asked. "I haven't, and I'm about to go mad; I've wanted them forever, ever since Father showed me his ring. I want to be the Wolf Queen someday, you know. I've heard you're supposed to be her."

I thought furiously, and I knew I should say something intelligent (she was looking at me curiously with those annoyingly big brown eyes of hers), but all that I could think to say was, "...What? What do you mean, powers? Wolf Queen... what are you talking about?"

Her eyes widened. "You mean you don't know?" she asked, as though I should have known perfectly well what the tronk a Wolf Queen was.

"No," I said, feeling put out. "Should I?"

"My father told me all about it," she said in a rather haughty voice. "About how Argul was supposed to marry a princess named Winter and he was supposed to have Claidis."

"Wait... why? And why should my father marry... Winter?"

"To produce the Wolf Queen. Argul's power would make up for Winter's weakness, and Claidis' power would make up for my father's. Father rather fancied Claidis. And-" she smiled and pointed at Mother and Venn, who were giving each other shy smiles, "I think the feeling is mutual."

"What do you mean by that?" I asked. I knew perfectly well what it meant, and I was angry that she could say something like that, but I hid it. "And what is a Wolf Queen?"

"I meant exactly what I said," she said, a knowing smirk on her face. "Father fell in love with your mother when she came to the Rise, but she left to return to Argul. Very loyal... or disloyal, depending on which way you look at it."

I couldn't help it; I was furious. My jaw dropped. I realized my mouth was open only a second later, as I went to reply, "How dare you? You don't even know my mother. She left because she loved my father. She never had any loyalty to Venn. And what the tronking okk's a wolf queen?"

Her expression turned very nasty. "My father could have given her a better life than this-" she waved her hand at the Hulta. "I deserve to be the Wolf Queen more than you do. You don't know anything about it-"

"I've asked you three times," I said, breathing deeply to keep calm, "And you haven't told me. Now, if you would, I'm sure we'd understand each other."

"The Wolf Queen is an extremely powerful woman, capable of great things," she said. "She has so much power she is power." Explaining this seemed to calm her down a bit.

"I see," I said. "And what sort of power do you mean?"

She stood up. "This is useless!" she screeched, so that all of the Hulta turned to look at her. "You don't know anything about anything, and you're the Wolf Queen! You don't deserve what you've got, if you're not even going to use it!" And she stormed off into the jumble of wagons. Dengwi got up and ran after her, calling, "Claidis? Claidis!"

I stood up very slowly and walked calmly (I thought) over to Mother and Father. "I'm going back to our wagon, if you don't mind," I said, trying to keep my voice steady.

"What did you say that made her so upset?" Father asked.

"It wasn't me!" I protested. "She went on about the Wolf Queen and power, and... I need to go. I'll explain the whole thing later."

Father understood. He said, "Go ahead," and I fumed all the way back to the wagon, where I'm sitting now, writing this.

Yllar has just come up (I must ask him why he's called Skipper). He said, "I'm sorry about my sister back there at the fire. She has a tendency to get carried away sometimes. She's obsessed with being the Wolf Queen, and seeing you made her jealous."

Must go and talk to him. I can't keep writing or it'll look like I'm ignoring him.


	6. Midnight Visitor

Title: Midnight Visitor

Author: Arianllyn

Date: 16th May 2005

Notes: Claidi's POV, written in her diary the day after the fire of Tealin's birthday.

* * *

Wolf Queen.

It seems Twilight's legacy will take even more than twenty years and miles of distance to escape.

They wove webs, you see, those terrible women of the House and Tower. Ironel and Jizania; Ustareth and -

Twilight.

The most foolish and least dangerous of the four, yet somehow she has caused more harm than the others. We're all still caught up in her web: myself, Argul, Venn, Dengwi. Even -

Winter.

I couldn't sleep last night, so I left Argul sleeping in our wagon and went for a walk near the woods to think things through. Tealin and Claidis seem to have, as Ashti would say, "got off on the wrong foot", like Winter and I all those years ago. Venn and Dengwi must have mentioned the concept of the Wolf Queen to Claidis, and now it's become an obsession. She harrassed my daughter about it at the fire last night.

Poor Tealin was very distressed. It was left to Skipper to calm her. He reminds me of Rail, Teil and Ro's boy, who has inherited his mother's good sense and is quite adept at keeping Tealin calm when the other boys tease her.

I was lost in my musings and had thought myself alone, but a pale shadow among the trees told me otherwise. I drew the only dagger I'd brought with me.

"Who's there?"

"Put that knife away, Claidi. You won't need to use it on me. Besides, I assume you still have your ring?"

Very few people knew about my ring, Ustareth's ring that Argul had given me, and which I had thought had been the source of my Power. And of all the people who did know about it, most were with the Hulta already.

"That is none of your business," I said. The figure was a woman, I could tell for her voice, but all I could see of her face was a white gleam against her dark clothes.

"I think you'll find it is."

"Come out and show me who you are, and then I'll decide that."

And so she stepped out of the shadows, pulling back her hood.

Winter Raven.

We returned to within eyesight of the camp, but I sensed she didn't want to go close. I perched on a rock, and she sat cross-legged on the ground.

Some women, as they age, soften, their skin sagging and frownlines deepening; whereas others grow sharper, their beauty being honed and becoming more distinctive. Winter, needless to say, falls into the second category. While my hair has muddied as it greyed, hers is streaked with silver like the reflection from obsidian.

We sat in silence for a while. At length, she spoke. "How are you? How is Argul?"

"We're well. The Hulta did accept him back as leader, after Summer."

"And you have children."

"One, a daughter. Tealin."

"Yes. I hear Venarion and Dengwi have a family as well."

"Yllar, after his father, and Claidis, after . . . well, Venn says after me. Though I suppose it could just as well be after you."

"Oh, I doubt that. And you have named your daughter after . . . ?"

"After herself," I replied shortly.

"Of course."

No matter who old you grow, silence is still uncomfortable.

"But you," I said eventually, "What about you? Are you and

Ngarbo . . . ?"

"Oh, that ended years ago. We're close still, but not in that way. He's my steward."

I tactfully said nothing.

"Yes, I know what you're thinking, but this is different. I sometimes wonder if Twilight would have fallen in love with Fengrey if it hadn't been forbidden."

"Where do you live now? Chylomba?"

"No, I live as far away as possible from my parents. On the west coast, in a small house called the Moon Pavilion. It's a few miles north of Sea View. That's a bit like your House, with the Tower Families and their Law. Though they call it their Guidances. So company's available, when I feel like it."

She fiddled with the laces on her boot. "If there's one thing I regret, it's not having children. I think Ngarbo and I could have raised a family, even if we weren't in love."

"There's still time . . ."

"Claidi, I'm 38. How likely do you think it is?"

There was nothing I could say to that.

"But . . . as you've probably guessed, I haven't come here to exchange polite converation, delightful as it is."

I nodded.

"Claidi, Twilight's . . . Twilight's dying."

Twilight. Dying. The words seemed wrong; antithetical. I had never felt anything approaching love for her, except perhaps during that brief time when I thought she was my mother, but even so . . .

"How do you know?"

"About a month ago, a flying letter arrived at the Pavilion. It was very polite, with the sort of flowery turn of phrase only a Tower Lady could be capable of. She said she wanted to see me, and that, of all things, my raven was pining for me. And then, almost as an afterthought, she added that she would be "most pleased" if I could bring with me the Wolf Queen."

At least by now I wasn't srprised.

"I refused, naturally. I've had enough of Tower meddling, as I'm sure you have too. But she sent me . . . this."

She reached inside her cloak and brought out a turquoise on a necklet of gold.

"Her Power jewel," I said.

She nodded. "I remember once, when I was very little, before I'd got my Power jewel," she fingered the amber her neck, "I asked her if I could use her turquoise. She replied, jokingly, that I wouldn't get my hands on it until she was on her deathbed. So when it arrived at the Pavilion, I remembered and . . . I knew.

"So here I am, come to do her bidding. I sent a letter to the Rise, telling Venarion to come and find you, and to bring Dengwi and their children with him. After all, with all that Powerful blood at least one of your children must be a Queen - or King - of the Wolves."

"Venn said they left because the Rise broke down."

"Oh yes. But didn't he tell you he hadn't wanted to leave? It was my letter that persuaded him; Dengwi never knew about it."

"He didn't mention you."

"Do you think I would sign it with my own name? Tsk tsk, Claid. I thought your memory would be better than that."

We. She'd signed it We.

"If you think we'll let our children get caught up like we were in Twilight's madness, you are very much mistaken."

"So you say."

"So I know," I stated, and studied her face. She met my eyes at first but soon looked away, and I suddenly felt a deep pity for her.

"You don't have to obey her, Winter; she has no power over you now. You'd be welcome to stay here, with the Hulta. You'd be happy here; I know you would."

"No power over me? Claidi, I'm the only one of us over whom she can have any power. Whether I like it or not, she's my mother, and I can't refuse her her dying wish. Besides," and she smiled bitterly, "In the morning, you won't want me with you anyway. By sunrise, you'll hate me again."

"Winter . . ."

She stood and pulled up her hood again to cover her hair. "Goodbye, Claidi. Believe it or not, I've enjoyed talking to you tonight. And . . . I truly am sorry." Her amber necklace glowed faintly, and she rose into the air and drifted away.

"Sorry about what?" My words dissolved into the night.

When I rose in the morning, there was no sign that Winter Raven had ever been here.

Neither, however, was there any trace of Claidis or Amirira.


End file.
